Claiming the title of Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper in 2020, John Zanktansky’s experience in various lines of work ultimately led him to the takeover of the nonprofit organization. He originally turned down the job, but something shifted when he noticed an eagle’s nest near his home: ”Who is speaking for this eagle?” he wondered.
This nest caused Zaktansky to take action against a freeway being built too closely within legal lines, taking the opportunity to redirect its course in order to help the animal that couldn’t help itself. Fundamentally, it was the combination of what the Riverkeeper saw as his love for biology and journalism, which he both pursued at respective points in his life, that sealed the choice.
His background in public writing proved to be especially beneficial, as “he fell back on his writing skills” and gave the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper’s blog the life it has today. He says he is currently trying to bridge the daunting gap between science and the public.
With this goal in mind, Zaktansky has written countless articles for his blog surrounding environmental issues in the general area. From the first story he published on microplastics in our waterway, to his recent poem “Voice for the Vulnerable” that emphasizes the very thing that drove him to become the Riverkeeper: providing awareness for the at-risk lives of animals in hopes of protecting them.
Because this native species breathes water through her skin
Voice for the Vulnerable, John Zaktansky (January 24, 2024).
She absorbs all our pollutants, she’s highly sensitive
Our eroding streambanks entomb her in her lair
We devastate her habitat but no protection we declare?
Every year the organization chooses a new theme to focus on. 2023’s was encouraging people to test their well systems for pollution (something that people were surprised by when their water samples came back contaminated). In 2024, Zaktansky intends to hone in on protecting species in the watershed like the hellbender–the state amphibian–by giving them a voice through publications like his poem.
While he enjoys spreading awareness through forms of writing, not all of his responsibilities are as glamorous. While some days consist of activities like collecting crayfish for a kids program, other days he spends “grinding out grant proposals and running numbers,” including “a lot of stress with bookkeeping and making sure numbers work out.”
Zaktansky encourages others to get involved as well, including those at Bucknell. For students especially, there are summer internships, opportunities to write blogs, or volunteering for kids’ summer programs where they learn how to kayak, fish, and overall become educated on the outdoors and how it to connect with it.